The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1887-02-05
A SCRAP OF HISTORY.

In his speech at Cooper Union, Get.
90, Sir. Hewitt, then candidate for
Mayor. now Mayor elect. gave sketch of
his own life 8s an answer to some attacks
made upon him as rich man." In the
course OF the remarks he said: ~ be-
came nearly blind, and was compelled
to pass year in Europe, for which |
paid out of the earnings which had laid
up from the lessons had given. On my
way home another accident occurred -
the ship on which | was went to the
bottom, ana was saved by another acct
dent in one OF the boats of that ship in
company with a man who has been
Mayor Of this city, who was and is
my friend and brother, and will be to the
end of my lie. l landel in midwiuter
in borrowed suit of sailors clothes
not a thing of my own-and had three
silver dollars in my pocket, which con
stituted my entire worldly wealth. l
was twenty-five years If age.
ct the captain Of the rcscuiDg shin
tell the story as he did few years ago to
little circle of friends in New York
club:
"In 1874 | was commanding the ship
Atlanta, and in the month of December
OF that year WIS making voyage from
Liverpool to New York. On the lith |
was crossing the Gulf Stream, and hid
got well over it. when, near evening, |
saw ship under full sail several miles to
windward, and evidently heading Tor
New York, like myself. My barometer
had been falling rapidly, and as always
regarded it with greet care and obeyed
its orders, took W rning and shortened
sail. Put 1 noticed that the stranger kept
everything spread, and when night came
on and hid her from sight she was far OIL
on the horizon. and di Int appear to have
taken in stitch of canvas. During the
night it came on to blow heavily reg
ular cyclone, in fact and you may be
sure was glad | had taken in sail 1t
only lasted "a couple of hours or so, but
was very rough as long as it was on us.
"About nine in tie forenoon the watch
reported picc, of wreck floating on the
water, and an hour later we sighted boat
and bore down for her. 1t was as hid
feared: The stranger had foundered in
the gale, and this was one of her boats.
"Shc proved to be, or to have been,
the American ship Albanian, Captain
Hitchcock, from Lcghorn to New York,
and beside her officers and crew she had
two passengers in the cabin. She was
under full sail when the wind struck her,
and in very short time she was an I'M
seawOrthy wreck She d two boats,
one ,tanch lie boat and the other an
old and rotten long boat. Lots were
drawn for places, and TIC life boat fell 10
the first o'hccr, while the long boat went
to the Captain. The two cabin Tasscn-
gers went to the long boat, and also n ne
OF the crew. 1t was the life boat that
picked up, with the first officer in COM
mand, and he said they left the ship at
Q in the mo ming, and lost sight of the
long boat soon after. She was nearer
the ship than they, as the Captain had
been the last to leave her.
The weather was cold, and they suf
fere1 considerably from their cramped
positions, but in little while after com
ing on board they were warmed up and
all right. Nothing could lie seen OF the
long boat, and it was not rtain whether
she was still atloat. ] determined to
save her if possible to do it, and the
great quest;on was to determine what
course to steer to find her. l reasoned
that Captain Hi'' hook would try to get
out of the Gulf Stream IS coon rs h
could, in order to find smoother water,
and after carefully studying the situation
/ changed my course in accordance with